Conventional lighting for military ground vehicles often utilize OEM lights or an accessory light bar having several high intensity discharge (HID) and/or infrared (IR) lights in a hardwired configuration permanently attached to the vehicle. The lights are generally fixed in position at the time of installation and are hardwired into the vehicle power and switching.
The observability of the vehicle due to reflections off the vehicle lights during certain field operations may be undesirable. For instance, if a military vehicle light is not turned on and the vehicle is in an open position, detection of the vehicle may occur because of light reflecting off reflectors adjacent to a light source of a vehicle light module.
Additionally, military vehicles, especially those used in combat situations, often require the head and tail lights of the vehicle to function in different modes of operation in order to adapt to various conditions that may occur during a mission. For instance, when operating at night on a mission, the front driving lights and tail lights are often covered with mechanical blinders or covers. These mechanical blinders or covers are used in an effort to limit light output, the beam pattern, and the visibility of the lights to potential hostiles. Moreover, coverings such as duct tape have been placed over the lights, at certain times, in an effort to reduce light reflectivity.
Prior to going on a mission the blinders or covers are installed on the lights of the vehicle. The covers may then need to be manually removed depending on the mission. This is often both time consuming and exposes the covers to loss and damage upon repeated installation and removal for storage. Accordingly, there is a need for a cover for vehicle lights, such as lights for security or military combat vehicles, that is adapted to selectively block ambient or reflected light from entering or leaving portions of the vehicle light in a convenient way.